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How To Grow A Human
This is something not talked about very much and it is a huge factor. I knew raising children in isolation was not for me. My husband and I and our two small daughters lived with our divorced friend and her two children for many years, raising the four children as a shared responsibility. We took turns working so there was always someone available to them. We also had village around us and created a home school with a teacher for six children from four families as the kids got older. There was always someone to be with them if we needed a morning to sleep in or a date night. This made Mothering a joy instead of a burden and we had so much fun. There were still challenges especially with six teenagers around and those challenges were shared as well. When my youngest was going through a rough teenage time I remember hearing the other Mother slipping into the hot tub at midnight with my daughter fresh home from being out to sit out under the stars and have a talk. I could go back to sleep knowing she had it covered way better than I. Aunties have always been important.
— River Jameson
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The majority of our mental load and emotional labor as modern-day mothers comes from constantly and creatively trying to piece together some semblance of a village, stepping into roles meant to be filled by other village members and unconsciously grieving this soul-crushing loss…
